Portable fence



N- PETERSv PHo'rn-l ITHOGRAFHEIL WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MORRISON, OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PORTABLE FENCE.

Specification of Letters latent No. 17,514, dated June 9, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM Monnisoiv, of Carlisle, county of Cumberland, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being` made to the accompanying drawings, which make a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a fence embracing my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a vertical cross section of the same.

In the construction of portable fences it has been considered a desiratum to obtain some simple, cheap and effective mode of connecting and bracing the panels, so as to give to the fence stability and stiffness, that it may'resist the action of the wind, and the shock of animals and vehicles coming against without being displaced or overturned, and at the same time so arrange the devices used to connect and brace the panels that they lcan be easily removed and the fence taken to pieces.

My invention consists rst in coniining the panels forming the fence to each sill by a single bolt and nut, said bolt passing through the braces extending from the sill to the panels and between or through the panels, by which the braces are caused to grasp the panels, firmly securing them to sill, but in such a manner that by simply removing lthe bolt the connection of the fence to the sill is broken so the fence can be taken apart.

The accompanying drawing represents a portable fence embracing my improvements which consist of a series of panels (A) whose ends rest on and are connected with a series of transverse sills The panels (A) are constructed in the usual manner by nailing patterns (C) transversely to boards of convenient length on both sides of the end and center and leaving spaces between each board, and capping the top board in order to give stiffness to the panel. The sills are rectangular sticks of timber of convenient length to support the panels. A notch (a) is made in each end, through which a pin (5)- is driven to hold the sill firmly to the ground and prevent its twisting, moving longitudinally or being turned over endwise by the fence. A transverse groove (c) is cut in the top of the sill at equal distances from each end, in which the lower corners of the panels restand are prevented from moving laterally. Braces (D) whose lower ends are pinned in mortises near the ends of the sills extend halt` way up the side of the fence, and are bolted together at the top by a bolt (d) passing through them and through and between the joints made at the junct-ion of two panels. A nut (e) in the end of the bolt keeps it in place and presses the braces when screwed up against the side of the fence. It is by this bolt alone that the fence is confined to the sill and the braces are caused to bind against the sides of the tence, keeping it in upright position and preventing it from turning over, and simply by removing this bolt the panels can be disconnected from the sills and the fence taken to pieces. The ends of the panels are held together by an ordinary wooden clamp which may be dispensed with if the panels are allowed to lap suicient distance on the sill for the bolt to pass through the end battens of both panels; or instead of the clamp two short pins can be driven through the braces near the top and on each side of thc joint between the panels and projectso as to enter holes bored in the end battens to receive them, thus holding the panels together when the braces are'screwed up. In this manner the bolt will not only hold the panels to the sill, but hold them together. Instead of a bolt and nut a bolt and key or any other equivalent mode may be substituted to confine the panels to the sills.

The ease with which this fence can be taken apart by simplyf` removin(T Ythe bolt which confines the panels to tle sill, its great stiffness, and the diiiiculty of displacing, turning it over or throwing it out of line, owing to the sills being confined to the ground by pins passing through the end grooves, gives to it the combined advantages of both the permanent and portable fence.

Having thus described my improvements WILLIAM MORRISON.

In presence of- STEPHEN KEEPERS, R. MCCAUTRY. 

